October, as you may or may not (but so totally should) know, is LGBT History Month. This particular month is especially near and dear to my heart because I’ve devoted the next five years of my education – and, indeed, my career – to the study of LGBT history. As a PhD student specializing in this field, I feel a certain sense of duty to bring at least a little LGBT history to Daily Kos this month. Rather than talk about my current research interest, which would probably drive you to drink (anti-gay violence in East Texas and its effect on gay political organizing), I’d like to talk about something a little more upbeat. And what could be more upbeat than the Gay Liberation Front (GLF)?
Specifically, I’d like to talk about a fascinating story from 1970 that, to a large extent, has escaped much notice: the story of the GLF’s attempt to “take over” Alpine County, California. Some has been written about it, but for such a thoroughly interesting example of GLF-style activism, its coverage is fairly scarce.
First, though, for those who don’t know much about the GLF, here is Chrislove’s condensed (and oversimplified) summary. The GLF was a militant gay organization formed after the Stonewall Riots, largely in reaction to a sense that the already-existing gay movement was too timid and accommodationist in its approach to gay rights. It was very much an organization of the New Left, and it was less concerned with securing “equality” under the law than it was with completely restructuring capitalist society itself. The GLF introduced “gay pride” and direct-action protest to thousands and thousands of young gay Americans. Despite its short tenure as an organization (it only lasted from 1969 to 1974), it is undoubtedly partly responsible for the breathtaking public opinion shift on gay issues that began in the 1970s and continues to this day. To some extent, the GLF embraced a kind of gay separatism that rejected assimilation into “mainstream” American society. We’re going to look at an example of that separatist strain of thought tonight. But first, the obligatory word from our sponsor:
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(Note: Since I'm drawing a lot in this diary from primary sources I can't link to, I've cited my sources with numbers in brackets. A list of my sources is at the end of the diary.)
In the year 1970, remote Alpine County in California’s High Sierra was, in many ways, a sanctuary for those looking to get away from city life. A 1970 issue of Time called it “a pristine wonderland of majestic peaks, verdant pine forests, and crystalline lakes” from which “residents have long gazed in amusement at doings of the urbanites below.”[1] The GLF of Los Angeles saw it in a different light. Since the county was home to only 367 registered voters, GLF leaders saw an opportunity to create a “gay territory,” a strategy informally dubbed “Stonewall Nation.” Organizers estimated that, thanks to a California Supreme Court ruling lowering the bar of residency from a year to 90 days for residents to vote, a migration of about 200 to 250 people would do the trick in establishing a gay majority. This majority, activists hoped, would organize a recall of the sitting county government and replace all straight officials with representatives of the gay community. This would result in “a gay government, a gay civil service, [and] a county welfare department which [would make] public assistance payments to [gay] refugees from persecution and prejudice.” This would be in addition to the implementation of “a district attorney, sheriff and judge…[who] could choose which laws would be enforced” and “the establishment of the world’s first museum of gay arts, sciences and history, paid for with public funds.”[2]
The GLF obviously had some grand plans to radically transform Alpine County into a sort of gay utopia – an idea rife with New Left idealism. This noble idealism wasn’t completely free of stupidity; the “influx of homesteading homosexuals” was set to begin on January 1, 1971, when snow in the county was projected to reach heights of up to 25 feet.[3] But the GLF was bound and determined to make the plan work. By the end of October, GLF community organizer Don Kilhefmer claimed the organization already had 479 gays and lesbians signed up for the migration, more than 200 over the number necessary to carry out the GLF’s separatist vision. It was a vision that sought to, in the words of GLF spokesmen, “reverse” the bias gay men and lesbians faced in straight society by creating an all-gay government. GLF organizers claimed they were meticulously planning for the transition and searching high and low for nurses, civil engineers, and other professionals to move and lend their expertise to the proposed “mecca for homosexuals.” They were even preparing for the possibility of violent resistance by scared Alpine County heterosexuals. Organizer Lee Heflin brought up this potential for vigilantism when he promised that the gay migrants would fight back: “We hope there will be no violence. We plan to do this as peacefully as possible. But if there is vigilante action, we will defend ourselves in any way necessary.” To ease heterosexual fears, the GLF promised a pension to any county official deposed by the new gay majority who wanted to stay in the area.[4]
As you can imagine, this plan didn’t go over very well with Alpine County officials. At the top of the list of government opponents of the plan was county supervisor Herbert Bruns, who claimed that “[t]he people [of Alpine County] are very upset” and promised a “hostile reception” when the gays crossed the county line. He added that “apples and peaches don’t grow very well [in Alpine County]…No fruit is particularly welcome up in our particular county.” Bruns, three other county supervisors, and the local district attorney even took their fears to Governor Ronald Reagan’s assistant legal affairs secretary. They were told, however, that there was nothing the state government could do as long as the GLF was operating within the confines of the law. The gays were coming, and there was nothing Alpine County officials could do about it.[5]
But resistance came from other quarters. A fundamentalist preacher, Dr. Carl McIntire, caught wind of the GLF’s plan and decided to take action to thwart it in the name of God and all that’s pure and holy. McIntire bellowed, “Homosexuality must be met by the Gospel and the attempt to dignify and legalize it will further corrupt society. A new order, established after [the gays] have repudiated our system of morality, could very well become the first U.S. atheist and Communist county.” He further promised that, if gays moved forward with the plan, “our Christians, with the backing of our churches, will also move in in trailers, establish residence and work as ‘missionaries.’ They will witness to them the Gospel, prevent their obtaining majority control and help maintain responsible authority.” He added that “it is unthinkable that the Christians of the United States should sit by and permit a county to become a homosexual estate to embarrass this nation before the world.”[6]
In the end, it was neither a resistant county government nor McIntire’s “Christian” army that brought the plan to its knees. Perhaps it was too wrapped in idealism to have ever been feasible. But, more than likely, it was thwarted by the refusal of Alpine County real estate agents to facilitate the gay migration by dealing with gay and lesbian buyers. The last thing the GLF publicly said about its plan to take over Alpine County was that it was postponed due to legal action against discriminatory real estate agents. By 1974, the national organization had crumbled, and, along with it, any plans to create any gay meccas. By 1975, Don Kilhefmer called the 1970 plan “guerilla theater from the beginning.” He added that, contrary to what the GLF had previously claimed, the plan was primarily an “attempt to get into the media some knowledge of the gay movement, that gay people were everywhere.” And, at this, the plan was a success by any standard. In fact, by 1975, it seemed that the underlying aim of the plan had reached even arch-homophobe and opponent of the migration Herbert Bruns, who said, “I don’t think [gays a]re as dangerous as we thought at the time.” He added that there were probably even gay people living in his heterosexual sanctuary, Alpine County.[7]
And this is the legacy of our gay liberation ancestors. While it might be easy to dismiss something like this as silly and pointless, the GLF’s wild tactics did make a difference. By forcing the gay issue out of the proverbial closet, they helped lay the groundwork in a very significant way for the gay rights movement we know today.
Now, On To The Top Comments!
A special thanks to this week's Top Comments contributors!
From sardonyx:
In noweasel's excellent diary President to GOP: "You Want to Be Commander in Chief?", Diogenes2008 has a question.
In Seneca Doane's diary from yesterday, Brooklyn Bridge Arrests: Lawyers, it's now on us, he today presents a great quote/comment that I think is well worth repeating about the ACLU, even if it didn't originate at this site.
From
brillig:
As usual, Hunter gives good rant, this time on Grover Norquist. John Chapman gives great suggestion in the comments!
And finally, from yours truly,
Chrislove:
In Montana Cowgirl's diary about Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer's line item veto of funding for a Tea Party asshat's district, kamarvt tells it like it is about the fools who voted the asshat into the legislature.
In Horace Boothroyd III's diary about JP Morgan Chase's donation to the New York City Police Foundation (hmmm...nothing fishy there!), reflectionsv37 hits the nail on the head.
In jpmassar's diary about the alleged police entrapment of Wall Street protesters on the Brooklyn Bridge, grannycarol has a few words to say about Tea Party comparisons.
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See you next time!
[1] “California: Gay Mecca No. 1,” Time, November 2, 1970, http://www.time.com/....
[2] “Homosexuals Weigh Move to Alpine County,” Los Angeles Times, October 19, 1970.
[3] Charles McFadden, “Says Takeover of County Possible By Gay Liberation Front,” Park City Daily News, October 21, 1970.
[4] Lee Dye, “Homosexuals Describe Plan to Take Over Alpine County,” Los Angeles Times, October 21, 1970.
[5] “Alpine County Bids to Bar Homosexuals,” Los Angeles Times, October 22, 1970.
[6] “Fundamentalist McIntire Tells Plan to Thwart Homosexuals,” Los Angeles Times, October 28, 1970.
[7] Bart Everett, “Postscript: Alpine County Stays Serene and Straight; Mall Stands Tall; Freeway Reflections,” Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1975.